At the Bethlehem City Council meeting on Tuesday, council members discussed issues ranging from snow removal to a certificate of appropriateness for a seven-story mixed-use building next to the Walnut Street Garage.
Seven Story apartment building on Walnut Street
The certificate of appropriateness for the seven-story mixed-use building passed after lengthy discussions about its impact on the appearance of Bethlehem’s Main Street.
During public comment Bethlehem resident Bill Shire spoke about what he described as the deteriorating aesthetics of the city’s historic district, which he said began with the Walnut Street Garage and continues to be threatened by the proposed building.
“Former Mayor Gordon Bower once told me the biggest mistake he made was urban renewal,” Shire said. “There is some similarity between urban renewal and the current penchant to build apartments just anywhere.”
Another Bethlehem resident questioned whether the Historic Architecture Review Board’s approval of the building plans was valid because one board members’ five-year term had concluded. However, Stephanie Steward, the Bethlehem City Council solicitor, clarified that a member of the Historical Architecture Review Board holds their seat until a replacement is named, meaning the ruling is valid.
Councilman Bryan Callahan said he doesn’t believe the city should be selling historic Bethlehem land.
“The company building is Larkin Associates, and I have nothing against them at all,” Callahan said. “I think it’s a beautiful building, to tell you the truth, but I’ve been against this project not because of Larkin, but because I don’t think we should be selling historic Bethlehem land.”
Callahan then asked Mayor J. William Reynolds whether he’d received any campaign support from Larkin associates.
“You’ve asked this before, and the answer was no then, and the answer is still no,” Reynolds said.
Steward explained that under Pennsylvania’s Municipal Historic District law, city councils may only consider exterior features visible from the street when deciding whether to grant a certificate of appropriateness. Bethlehem’s Article 1713, part of the city’s compiled ordinances, states the same requirement.
Steward said the Historical Architecture Review Board uses architectural methods to draw the eye downward, making the building appear smaller than it is.
After discussion, the ordinance passed 5-1, with Callahan as the lone dissenting voice.
Bethlehem Parking Authority
Callahan said he’s received numerous complaints about the Bethlehem Parking Authority during his time on council, including concerns that the construction company for the Walnut Street Garage installed incorrect pipes.
He questioned whether a lack of transparency and slow response times might warrant dissolving the authority and bringing it back under city control.
Reynolds said, the Parking Authority operates as a separate entity from the city of Bethlehem, despite being created by it. He argued that the structures saved the city money because the authority only uses taxpayer funds to pay off debt, while the rest of its operations are funded by parking rates. Through financial reorganization, the authority has paid off its debts except for lingering construction costs associated with the New Street Garage.
“20 years ago I thought the Parking Authority was a financial disaster,” Reynolds said. “As far as how much money we were losing, the fact that they were operating under a very 1964 parking mindset, where you could say yes to everybody, instead of understanding that parking is a system.”
Councilmember Micheal Colón said over the past 20 years the Bethlehem Parking Authority has operated as a “quasi-public, quasi-private” entity. Reynolds said the authority has significantly improved its approach to managing street parking turnover.
Although the Bethlehem Parking Authority enforces parking laws and sets garages rates, the mayor has the authority to raise meter prices and City Council sets parking ticket fines.
Callahan described Reynolds’ authority to raise meter prices as giving him a “bone in the fight.”
Reynolds said he’s only raised meter prices when data from the Parking Authority indicated it was necessary to improve turnover rates. He maintained that he has no desire to bring the authority back under his direct control.
Snow Removal
As in previous meetings, residents raised concerns about the effectiveness of snow removal in Bethlehem.
Councilmember Jo C. Daniels asked Micheal Alkhal, the director of public works, whether the city could place more pressure on homeowners to clear sidewalks in front of their properties. Sidewalks are legally required to be cleared within 24 hours after a storm ends, though fines are rarely issued.
“Its not just about clearing the snow, it’s a safety issue, an accessibility issue,” Daniels said. “There’s handicapped people that were stuck in their homes for weeks at a time because of this.”
Alkhal said the reason the city doesn’t proactively patrol for violations is due to limited personnel and because some residents may be elderly and unable to shovel.
Other topics
At the previous meeting, council discussed how the 2025 budget didn’t allocate funds to replace two dismissed firefighters, leaving the department short staffed.
Callahan argued that the fire department should track how often Lehigh University, Moravian University and St. Luke’s University Health Network calls for services and charge them a flat fee. Fire Chief Matthew Griffin said obtaining that data would be nearly impossible given current staffing shortages.
In votes with little dissent, council also approved several additional measures, including allowing a police officer to purchase his personal handgun from his time on the force, which passed 5-1.
Council also approved a project to expand the Hill-to-Hill Bridge and granted a certificate of appropriateness for a Bethlehem resident living off of Main Street to construct a stone fireplace around an existing gas unit.
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